Vehicle body door hinge and hold-open



Nov. 14; 1967 E. R. GIONET' 3,351,976

VEHICLE BODY DOOR HINGE AND HOLD-OPEN Filed April 28, 1965 v .:1: 4m y l H balm I N VEN TOR.

A TORNE Y United States Patent 3,351,976 VEHICLE BODY DOOR HINGE AND HOLD-OPEN Edmond R. Gionet, Warren, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 28, 1965, Ser. No. 451,480 Claims. (Cl. 16-138) This invention relates to door hinges and hold-opens and more particularly to a new and improved vehicle body door hinge and hold-open.

One feature of this invention is that it provides a new and improved vehicle body door hinge and hold-open of exceedingly economical manufacture and which is constructed for maximium compactness within the vehicle body. Another feature of this invention is that it provides a hold-open structure including a toggle linkage pivotally mounted to the body and the door, and hold-open spring means operatively connected between the body and one pivotal mounting of the toggle linkage to bias the toggle linkage to a generally unfolded position wherein it provides a releasable hold-open. Another feature of this invention is that the hold-open spring means takes the form of a substantially fully uncoiled clock spring or C-spring having one end curledly mounted about one pivotal mounting of the toggle linkage in such a manner that its coiling tendencies bias the toggle linkage to its generally unfolded position.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a vehicle body door and supporting pillar structure including a hinge and hold-open according to this invention, and showing the door in closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the door in fully open position;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the hinge and hold-open of this invention is shown as applied to a rear vehicle body door adapted for swinging movement relative to the adjacent supporting center pillar 12 ofthe body. As is conventional, rear door 10 when closed has its forward hem-flanged exterior edge portion 14 closely juxtaposed and contiguous with the rearward edge portion 16 of the front door 18 of the body to conceal pillar 12. In the interest of maximum door opening size and of maximum permissible size and resulting strength of pillar 12, it is desirable that the rear door hinge and hold-open require but very little free working space between the door and pillar in directions both longitudinally and transversely of the body.

In accordance with the above, the hinge of the present invention includes a pair of flat hinge plates 20 and 22, plate 20 being bolted to a rearwardly facing jamb portion 24 of pillar 12, and plate 22 being bolted to a closely juxtaposed forwardy facing jamb portion 26 of door 10. As shown best in FIGURE 4, plate 20 is bifurcated into a pair of bored pintle receiving end portions 28, and plate 22 includes a somewhat forwardly turned and bored end portion 30 of a size close-1y receivable between portions 28. An elongated hinge pintle 32 is inserted upwardly and secured within portions 28 and 30 to mount door 10 for swinging movement relative to pillar 12 between the closed position of FIGURE 1 and a fully open position shown in FIGURE 2.

A hold-open toggle linkage 34 includes a pair of lirTs 36 and 38 pivotally connected together by a headed over "ice pivot stud 40. As shown in FIGURE 4, one end of link 36 is relieved for the reception of a depending pivot boss 41 on the mating end of link 38, and an upstanding stop or check flange 42 on the end of link 36 lies engageable with a radial shoulder 44 formed on boss 41. The other or free end of link 36 is provided with a lost motion slot 46 for reception of a pivot stud 48 receivable within a bore 50 in plate 20 to pivotally mount link 36 thereon. Similarly, the other or free end of link 38 is bored for the reception of a pivot stud 52 receive-d within a bore 54 of plate 22. With the linkage 34 thus connected, movement of door 10 carries the linkage from a generally folded position in the closed position of the door, to a generally unfolded or straightened position in the fully open position of the door. The lost motion slot 46 allows for eccentricity in the linkage relative to the hinge axis through pintle 32. In the fully open position of the door, the toggle linkage is of course operative to resist closing forces by directing them substantially in a line through studs 52, 40 and 48. Further, in this generally fully open position of the door, the end of flange 42 and shoulder 44 engage to provide a check preventing overtravel of the door.

In order to releasably hold the linkage 34 in its generally unfolded holding position when the door is open, hold-open spring means are provided. As best seen in FIGURE 4, the end of link 38 at the pivot thereof on plate 22 is provided with a boss 56 formed with a predetermined partial cylindrical bearing portion 58 merging into and partially defining a slot 60. A clock spring or C-spring 62, simply and economically manufactured of spring steel, is uncoiled and extended to have one curled end portion thereof wrapped about the exposed upper terminal end of pintle 32, and has the other curled end portion thereof wrapped about the bearing portion 58 and received within the slot 60 of boss 56, the end of the slot forming a radial abutment upon which the spring is operable.

As seen in FIGURE 4, spring 62 in its relaxed state is fully and tightly coiled upon itself, such that when unwrapped and installed in the configuration shown, its predetermined coiling tendencies seek to wrap its two curled end portions together, one within the other. As pintle 32 is not movable by the spring, the result is a general counterclockwise curling tendency about stud 52 biasing link 38, and accordingly linkage 34, to the generally unfolded position thereof. Any forces tending to close door 10 must accordingly be sufficient to counteract the predetermined coiling spring rate of spring 62.

It is seen that by arranging the ends of a substantially fully uncoiled clock spring or a C-spring between closely spaced mounting points on the toggle linkage and on the hinge or body, there is provided an exceedingly simple and compact hold-open construction obviating the need for the large amounts of space between the door and pillar required with such prior hold-open agencies as coil compression springs, cantilever leaf springs or the like.

Thus a new and improved door hinge and hold-open is provided.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body including a door member adapted to be swingably mounted on a body member, a hinge and hold-open comprising, hinge means swingably mounting said door member on said body member for movement between open and closed positions, a pair of pivotally interconnected toggle links each being pivotally mounted on a respective one of said members, said links during movement of said door member being relatively movable between a generally folded position in the closed position of said door member and a generally unfolded position in the open position of said door member, and coil tor- 3 sion spring means mounted at one end thereof for reaction on said body and being substantially fully uncoiled to have the other end thereof secured on one of said links in curled manner about the axis of the pivot thereof on the respective one of said members, the coiling tendency between open and closed positions, a pair of pivotally interconnected toggle links each being pivotally mounted on a respective one of said members, said toggle links during movement of said door member being relatively movable between a generally folded position in the closed position of said door member and a generally unfolded position in the open position of said door member, and a hold-open C-spring mounted at one end thereof for reaction on said body and having the other terminal end portion thereof secured on one of said links in curled manner about the axis of the pivot thereof on the respective one of said members, the coiling tendency of said C-spring applying torque to said one link directly about said pivot thereof to bias said link to the generally unfolded position thereof to provide a hold-open.

3. In a vehicle body including a door member adapted to be swingably mounted on a body member, a hinge and hold-open comprising, hinge means swingably mounting said door member on said body member for movement between open and closed positions, a pair of pivotally interconnected toggle links each being pivotally mounted on a respective one of said members, one of said links having a bearing surface formed arcuately about the pivotal axis of said one link on the respective one of said members and merging with abutment means formed generally radially of said axis, said links during movement of said door member being relatively movable between a generally folded position in the closed position of said door member and a generally unfolded position in the open position of said door member, and a hold-open C-spring mounted at one end thereof for reaction on said hinge means and having the other terminal end thereof curled about said bearing surface and engaging said abutment means to bias said one link with the other of said links to the generally unfolded position thereof to provide a hold-open.

4. In a vehicle body including a door member adapted to be swingably mounted on .a body member, a hinge and hold-open comprising, hinge means swingably mounting said door member on said body member for movement between open and closed positions, hold-open means ineluding a hold-open member pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof on one of said door and body members and operatively connected with the other thereof, said hold-open member during movement of said door member being pivotable on said one member between a holding position in the open position of said door member resisting movement thereof to closed position and a nonholding position in the closed position of said door member, and coil torsion spring means having one end thereof mounted for reaction on one of said door and body members and having the other end thereof securedly mounted on said hold-open member in curled manner about the axis of said pivot thereof on said one member, the coiling tendency of said spring means applying torque to said hold-open member about said pivotal axis thereof on said one member to bias said hold-open member to said holding position thereof.

5. In a vehicle body including a door member adapted to be swingably mounted on a body member, a hinge and hold-open comprising, hinge means swingably mounting said door member on said body member for movement between open and closed positions, hold-open means including a hold-open member pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof on one of said door and body members and operatively connected with the other thereof, said hold-open member during movement of said door member being pivotable on said one member between a holding position in the open position of said door member resisting movement thereof to closed position and a nonholding position in the closed position of said door member, and a C-spring mounted at one end thereof for reaction on one of said door and body members and having the opposite terminal end portion thereof securedly mounted on said hold-open member in a curled manner about the axis of the pivot thereof on said one member, the coiling tendency of said C-spring applying torque to said hold-open member about said pivotal axis thereof on said one member to bias said hold-open member to said holding position thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,812,539 11/1957 Lundell 16191 2,838,785 6/1958 Kapanka 16138 3,195,173 7/1965 McNaye et al. 16-138 FOREIGN PATENTS 608,290 11/1960 Canada.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner D. L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY INCLUDING A DOOR MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE SWINGABLY MOUNTED ON A BODY MEMBER, A HINGE AND HOLD-OPEN COMPRISING, HINGE MEANS SWINGABLY MOUNTING SAID DOOR MEMBER ON SAID BODY MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, A PAIR OF PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTED TOGGLE LINKS EACH BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID LINKS DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID DOOR MEMBER BEING RELATIVELY MOVABLE BETWEEN A GENERALLY FOLDED POSIITON IN THE CLOSED POSITION OF SAID DOOR MEMBER AND A GENERALLY UNFOLDED POSITION IN THE OPEN POSITION OF SAID DOOR MEMBER, AND COIL TORSION SPRING MEANS MOUNTED AT ONE END THEREOF FOR REACTION ON SAID BODY AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FULLY UNCOILED TO HAVE THE OTHER END THEREOF SECURED ON ONE OF SAID LINKS 